9/19/12

Mark V. attended his first Backwards Beekeepers meeting in August. He had bees that had made a home inside the front wall of his family’s house. He wanted them removed, but not killed—he was ready to become a beekeeper!

After talking to him for a while I decided that I’d help him get those bees out and into a new home. He was enthusiastic and insisted on helping and I was grateful for an extra hand.

The hive had been building for several months, and had lots ofhealthy brood and several pounds of capped honey as well.

Mark is ready to go!

This cut out was ideal in that it was at chest height, in the shade and made up of beautiful long thin combs for easy measurement.

After some practice Mark worked like a pro, carefully sizing and aligningthe comb upright without damaging the nurse bees with the rubber bands.

9/12/12

I went to Walker's house to drop off some honey for an art project she and her husband are doing. She lives on a hilltop in Silver Lake. She and five of her neighboors have joined their places into a community.

She has twenty hives up there and her neighbors have some hives also.

She has hives she calls "Home Depot hives" that she and her husband make. She has some Warre hives. There's a hive in a cabinet. And Japanese hives!

Hives on the roof!

Outdoor kitchen.

It's a beekeeper's Paradise up there. You can keep bees in the city, have good neighboors and build a community also.

—kirkobeeo

But wait! You've got to hear how fired up Kirk is as he tells the story. Plenty more details follow: